After the sequel trilogy’s disappointing finale, Star Wars has taken a break from the big screen to focus on the Disney Plus shows. It’ll return in style with Star Wars: Rogue Squadron from Wonder Woman director Patty Jenkins, which focuses on a “new generation of starfighter pilots” in a “boundary-pushing, high-speed thrill-ride”.
The logo indicates the story will take place around the time of the sequel trilogy, but other than that, other details are under wraps. However, long-time Star Wars fans will know that there have already been many Rogue Squadron stories, beginning with the well-regarded 1996 novel X-Wing: Rogue Squadron by Michael Stackpole.
Twitter user @Jedi4Liberty recently set tongues wagging with a post about meeting Stackpole at a convention, where he said the author “assured me Patty Jenkins had been in contact with him early on”. That now seems to be incorrect, as Stackpole clarified on the ATGCast podcast:
I know the tweet said that she had consulted with me. No, no, no. And, like she needs to talk to me? Holy crap. I think she knows her way around a film. Again, in things she has said about the story publicly, she has been very nice in name-checking me and referring to the books and I can’t thank her enough for doing that. But, as of this point, I know only as much as you guys know
Rogue Squadron is still officially due to release on Dec. 22, 2023, though recent reports indicate that there’s been some kind of behind-the-scenes disagreements that will likely result in a delay. This is far from unusual with Star Wars productions, and it’s telling that we still don’t have any casting news or confirmation of when it’ll go before the cameras.
If Lucasfilm were still targeting a December 2023 release, Rogue Squadron should be shooting now or imminently. Consensus is building that we’ll get an official update on Star Wars Day, May 4, with the project likely shifting to summer 2024.
If so, that means it’ll have been five long years since a Star Wars movie was in theaters, though the many upcoming Disney Plus shows will keep the franchise flag flying.
More on Star Wars: Rogue Squadron as we hear it.